This invention relates to skid or pallet assemblies particularly for use in supporting coils of metal, such as steel or aluminim, or other items having cylindrical outlines such as coils of paper, barrels, large diameter piping, and the like.
When shipping coils of steel or other similarly shaped loads, it is common to secure the coils on wooden skids. In making such skids of this type it has been customary to form them from pieces of wood nailed together to form a matrix which accomodates the cylindrical configuration of the load. Upwards of ten or more pieces of wood would be required. The wood used was of a high grade hard nature to avoid splitting by the many nails required to be driven into position, and also for providing the requisite strength for supporting the heavy loads. Under these circumstances, the skids are expensive both with respect to the materials making up the skids, and also with respect to the manpower time needed for assembling the structure.
In addition to the expense of the heretofore known skids, it has been found that they are routinely discarded after single uses because of broken parts or for the reason that the receiver of the shipped package does not desire to return them to the shipper or to store the skids because of their bulkiness. The known skids are awkward to store and require an inordinately large area for the storage of large numbers of skids.
This invention provides a skid assembly which overcomes the drawbacks inherent in skids heretofore used. My present skid is formed of a minimum of four pieces of hard wood lumber interconnected without nails or any other securing hardware to form the needed matrix for supporting coils of steel, or other cylindrical outlined loads. Two base members of identical shape are interconnected with two identical load bearing members. The members forming the skid are simply formed and efficiently stored or shipped. In the event one of the members is broken or damaged it is conveniently replaced with a like member. The skid may be assembled simply and quickly, literally in seconds.